The Quick Slant: Florida 27, LSU 19 (Instant Breakdown)

Graphic: Scott MacCord/UAA Communications

The Quick Slant: Florida 27, LSU 19 (Instant Breakdown)

Saturday, October 6, 2018 | Football, Chris Harry

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

THE QUICK SLANT
No. 22 FLORIDA 27, No. 5 LSU 19

WHAT HAPPENED: Junior tailback Lamical Perine rushed for 85 yards and two scores, including the go-ahead touchdown with just under nine minutes to play, and sophomore safety Brad Stewart returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown with 1:45 to play, as the Gators played off the return of their home-field "Swamp" magic with a huge, Dan Mullen-era-making defeat of fifth-ranked LSU before the wildest Spurrier/Florida Field home crowd in years. The UF defense was spectacular, forcing three turnovers and sacking Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow five times. LSU took a 7-0 lead on the first possession of the game, but UF rallied to surge in front 14-10 at the break on a 1-yard scoring run by Perine a 3-yard TD pass from Feleipe Franks to tight end Moral Stephens late in the period. The Tigers scored 10 unanswered points, the last six coming on a four-play, 80-yard drive when tailback Nick Brossette carried three times for 79 yards and finished the march with a 1-yard run to push LSU in front 19-14 with just over 11 minutes to go, as the attempt at a two-point conversion failed. The Gators, though, took the next possession, went 75 yards in nine plays -- with another jazzy trick play (read on) -- as Perine scored on a two-yard run with 8:48 left to push UF in front 20-19, followed by another failed two-point try. The Tigers had three more possessions. The first ended in a punt, the second in Stewart's pick-six, and the third in safety Donovan Stiner's interception on fourth-and-10 from the LSU 41 with 21 seconds to go.

WHAT IT MEANS: UF's fourth straight win was the program's biggest since going to LSU two years ago and staging a goal-line stand for the ages to clinch the SEC East Division title. With five victories, the Gators already have eclipsed the four they tallied all last season. Simply put, this is a different team under Mullen and now the fan base has been revitalized, evidenced by the old-look scene at the "Swamp."

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Take a bow, Lucas Krull. The 6-foot-6, 255-pound tight end transferred to Florida over the summer from a Kansas junior college, where he was a pitcher. Well, he pitched it Saturday, all right, and came up with a huge play when the Gators needed one. Down 19-14, UF drove to the LSU 17 for a first down. Krull came in motion, right to left, and took a handoff from Franks. Krull took a couple steps, wheeled back and pitched a left-handed pass to Franks in the right flat for a 15-yard completion to the LSU 2. Perine scored on the next play to give the Gators a 20-19 lead. Make that two straight weeks that Mullen went razzle-dazzle at pivotal, lead- and game-changing moments.

STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Florida defense had 11 tackles for loss, led by 3.5 by junior linebacker Vosean Joseph, who had a pair of sacks and 14 total tackles. The LSU defense had two tackles for loss. Meanwhile, the Gators' three takeaways (compared to one giveaway) took them to plus-11 on the season, and also limited the Tigers to just 4-for-17 on third down.

UP NEXT: Florida (5-1, 3-1) is back on the SEC road to face Vanderbilt (3-2, 0-1), with a chance to notch a fifth straight win (a fourth in a row in the league) and make that Oct. 27 showdown against No. 2 and unbeaten Georgia all the more intriguing. The Commodores face the Bulldogs on Saturday night.